Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
California’s Reboot of Troubled Medi-Cal Puts Pressure on Health Plans
The nine commercial insurers in Medi-Cal must reapply by submitting bids for new contracts. The state hopes the process will improve care for low-income residents and tighten accountability, something critics say has been missing. (Bernard J. Wolfson, )
Kaiser Permanente Employees May Vote On Labor Strike: The labor union representing 24,000 Kaiser Permanente employees is pausing participation in its labor-management partnership with the integrated health system and is prepared to ask its members to vote on a strike, union leaders said Friday. The United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals includes registered nurses, pharmacists, rehab therapists, midwives and optometrists. Read more from Modern Healthcare.
Two Of Gov. Newsom's Children Have Covid: Two of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s children have tested positive for covid, his office said Friday evening. The two children tested positive Thursday; Newsom, his wife and his other two children have tested negative. Newsom’s children are all under age 12 and ineligible to be vaccinated. Newsom and his wife are both vaccinated. Read more from the Sacramento Bee, San Francisco Chronicle and CNN.
Below, check out the roundup of California Healthline’s coverage. For today's national health news, read KHN's Morning Briefing.
More News From Across The State
Los Angeles Times:
COVID Patients Wait Days For ICU Beds In Central California
Some hospitals in Central California are still so overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients that some critically ill people are waiting days to be transferred into the intensive care unit from the emergency room, officials said. One Fresno area hospital had nine critically ill patients who were unable to get into the intensive care unit for more than three days, interim health officer Dr. Rais Vohra said at a news conference this week. This forces emergency room staff to treat patients needing ICU care, disrupting the healthcare of other patients with less severe illness. (Lin II and Money, 9/18)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Here's Why California Has The Lowest COVID Rate In The Nation
California hit the lowest coronavirus case rate in the nation Friday — thanks not only to high vaccination and masking, but also to a state culture that generally embraces public health precautions, experts said. Despite the highly contagious delta variant, which accounts for essentially all COVID cases in California, coronavirus infections are plummeting in the state, with a 32% drop in average weekly cases as of Thursday compared to a month earlier — 25 per 100,000 people, down from 33 per 100,000. (Asimov, 9/18)
San Francisco Chronicle:
COVID In California: Risk 'Way Down From Summer,' Prominent UCSF Doctor Says
UCSF doctor says risks ‘way down’ compared to early summer: Dr. Bob Wachter, chair of UCSF’s Department of Medicine, tweeted that for the first time in months, asymptomatic test positivity rates were under 1%, an encouraging sign that this summer’s surge is indeed waning. “Need to keep masking indoors, but (the risk is way down) from summer,” Wachter tweeted. (Fracassa, 9/20)
City News Service:
Coronavirus Hospitalizations Dip Again In LA County
The number of coronavirus patients in Los Angeles County hospitals fell again on Sunday, Sept. 19, dropping from 1,070 Saturday to 1,053, according to state figures. The number of those patients in intensive care also fell, from 324 to 310. (919)
The Bakersfield Californian:
County Public Health Department Releases Long-Awaited Demographic Data For Kern COVID-19 Deaths
The Kern County Public Health Services Department reported 510 new COVID-19 cases and one new death Friday. There are 134,397 total residents who have had COVID-19 and 1,515 deaths, according to Public Health. On Friday, the department released demographic data regarding deaths in Kern County. This data had not been updated since April 20. (9/17)
Los Angeles Times:
Here’s How The Most- And Least-Vaccinated States Fared Against The Delta Variant
The latest wave of COVID-19, driven by the Delta variant, has brought hospitals back to the brink and destroyed hopes of a return to normalcy anytime soon. But the damage from the coronavirus has been far from homogenous, in large part because of geographic differences in vaccination rates. (Baumgaertner, 9/20)
Bay Area News Group:
The Bay Area’s COVID Hotel Experiment: Successes And Uncertainty
For much of the past year, Heather Chavez waited in fear of being kicked out of the comfortable Livermore hotel room that had become her refuge during the COVID pandemic. As funding deadlines came and went, and residents received frightening notices warning that they’d soon have to move along, she was terrified she’d have to go back to sleeping in a car or RV on the side of the road. Instead, after months of uncertainty, Chavez and her husband recently secured a subsidized apartment in Alameda. It’s 10 blocks from the beach, and allowed them to bring their 13-year-old pitbull, Chico. (Kendall, 9/20)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
San Diego Scientists Are Changing Our Understanding Of COVID-19
As researchers have raced to understand what the coronavirus is, how it spreads and how to stop it, we’ve all had a front-row seat to see science play out publicly and in real time. Not everyone likes what they see. “The CDC and the WHO have changed their guidance and their approach many times over the course of this past year and a half,” said one resident who called in during a recent 15-hour San Diego County Board of Supervisors meeting. (Wosen, 9/18)
The New York Times:
Covid Vaccine Prompts Strong Immune Response In Younger Children, Pfizer Says
The Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine has been shown to be safe and highly effective in young children aged 5 to 11 years, the companies announced early Monday morning. The news should help ease months of anxiety among parents and teachers about when children, and their close contacts, might be shielded from the coronavirus. The need is urgent: Children now account for more than one in five new cases, and the highly contagious Delta variant has sent more children into hospitals and intensive care units in the past few weeks than at any other time in the pandemic. (Mandavilli, 9/20)
CNBC:
Pfizer Covid Vaccine Safely Generates Robust Immune Response In Kids, Pfizer Says
Pfizer and BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine is safe and generates a “robust” immune response in a clinical trial of kids ages 5 to 11, the drugmakers announced Monday. The companies tested a two-dose regimen of 10 micrograms — about a third the dosage used for teens and adults — administered three weeks apart. The shots were well tolerated and produced an immune response and side effects comparable to those seen in a study of people ages 16 to 25, they said. (Lovelace Jr., 9/20)
CNN:
Moderna's Vaccine Is The Most Effective, But Pfizer And J&J Also Protect Well, CDC-Led Study Says
A head-to-head study of all three authorized coronavirus vaccines in the United States finds the Moderna vaccine is slightly more effective than Pfizer's in real-life use in keeping people out of the hospital, and Johnson & Johnson's Janssen vaccine comes in third, but still provides 71% protection. Pfizer's vaccine provided 88% protection against hospitalization, and Moderna's was 93% effective. (Fox, 9/17)
Vaccine Rollout and Booster Shots
NPR:
FDA Panel Says Pfizer COVID Booster OK For Older People And Those At High Risk
In a surprising vote, a panel of advisers to the Food and Drug Administration on Friday recommended against approval of a booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for people 16 years and older. The 16-2 vote against broad use of the booster, which would be given about six months after completion of the two-dose immunization regimen, dealt a setback to Pfizer and complicates the FDA's approach to boosters. After a brief intermission following the rejection, FDA officials returned to the meeting with a revised booster question. The panel then voted 18-0 in support of the agency authorizing a booster shot of the vaccine for people 65 and older or at high risk of severe COVID-19. (Hensley, 9/17)
CBS News:
Francis Collins, NIH Chief, Expects FDA To Expand COVID-19 Booster Recommendation In "Coming Weeks"
Dr. Francis Collins, head of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), predicted Sunday that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will widen its recommendation on who should receive a COVID-19 booster shot in the "coming weeks" after the agency recommended the additional doses for the elderly and high-risk Americans. In an interview with "Face the Nation," Collins said it was "very significant" that an FDA advisory committee unanimously voted in favor of offering the extra vaccine doses to people 65 and older, as well as to those who are at high-risk for exposure, but the panel wasn't convinced the boosters were needed for the general public. (Quinn, 9/19)
San Francisco Chronicle:
How COVID Vaccine Boosters Will Roll Out In The Bay Area
Bay Area health leaders are planning for the coronavirus vaccine booster rollout, which seems likely to begin with third shots for Pfizer recipients who are 65 and over or at high risk of severe COVID. Local health officials and providers say they are ready to offer these booster shots if and when federal officials finalize the recommendation. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s influential vaccine advisory committee on Friday voted to recommend Pfizer booster shots for these groups, and the full FDA is expected to adopt this recommendation soon. But for the policy to be adopted, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would need to approve boosters as well. (Buchmann, 9/20)
Modesto Bee:
Stanislaus County Will Give COVID Booster Shots To Seniors
An FDA panel voted Friday to recommend booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for people age 65 and older and high-risk individuals, but rejected a proposal to make them available for the general public. The FDA still must decide whether to go along with the panel of medical experts, which disagreed with a Biden administration proposal to make COVID booster widely available. An advisory committee with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could determine what high-risk individuals are eligible for the extra shot of Pfizer to guard against severe illness. (Carlson, 9/18)
Los Angeles Times:
COVID Vaccine Rates Lag In Young Black, Latino Residents In L.A. County
COVID-19 vaccinations are lagging the most in younger Black and Latino residents of Los Angeles County. Vaccination rates among L.A. County’s Black residents up to age 49 remain below 50%, and rates among Latino residents in the same age group remain below 60%, health officials said this week. (Lin II and Money, 9/18)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Deported Veterans Allowed Back Into The U.S. To Get Vaccinated
A group of deported veterans was allowed back briefly into the country Wednesday to receive the COVID-19 shot as part of a special clinic held by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. One of them was U.S. Marine veteran Milton Tepeyac, 45, who made the trip from Sonora, México. (Mendoza, 9/19)
Los Angeles Times:
LAPD Needs COVID Vaccine Or Negative Coronavirus Test For OT
Los Angeles police officers will be barred from working overtime at major events or off-duty security at venues like Dodgers Stadium or Staples Center unless they get vaccinated against the coronavirus or, if a venue allows it, secure a negative test, LAPD leaders announced Friday. The move came in response to policies imposed by AEG — the operator of L.A. Live and Staples Center, among other sites — as well as a new L.A. County rule for events with more than 10,000 people. The restrictions will put additional pressure on LAPD officers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and comes amid mounting frustration that the department’s rate of vaccination lags far behind the general public, raising concerns about the risk to community members who interact with officers. (Winton, 9/18)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Bakersfield Hospital CEOs: How Will Vaccine Mandate Impact Staffing?
Several Bakersfield hospital CEOs share a key concern as COVID-19 cases continue to flood their hospitals: How much worse will staffing levels be when the California Department of Public Health’s Sept. 30 deadline for all staff to be vaccinated arrives? Hospitals, slammed with an influx of COVID-19 patients during the third surge and a shortage in staff members, now must contend with losing more staff because these individuals decline to be vaccinated and do not qualify for a medical or religious exemption. (Desai, 9/17)
Modesto Bee:
What Biden’s COVID Vaccine Mandate Means For CA Workers
More COVID vaccine mandates are on the way for California. President Joe Biden last week rolled out his plan to get more Americans vaccinated by requiring federal workers and their contractors to get the shots. Health care workers in facilities that receive Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements are also required to be fully vaccinated. (Park, 9/20)
San Francisco Chronicle:
In Solano County, The Bay Area's COVID Outlier, Masks Are Anything But Universal
The inland expanse dotted with suburbs and medium-size cities is the least vaccinated of the Bay Area’s nine counties. Just 54% of its 450,000 residents are fully vaccinated, compared with 67% in Napa and Sonoma, the counties with the next-lowest rate. It has a high daily infection rate — currently 18.6 cases per 100,000 people, the highest of any Bay Area county except Napa according to state data — and a hospitalization rate two to three times higher than that of other local counties. And while the county’s case numbers, like those throughout the Bay Area, have shown improvement lately, the approach of local leaders — who have been less willing to restrict residents’ activities and impose mandates — has consistently set Solano apart. (Hwang and Echeverria, 9/19)
CapRadio:
San Joaquin Delta College Mandates Vaccinations For Returning Students
San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton is among the growing number of colleges mandating vaccinations for returning students. The growing number of COVID-19 cases prompted the change. Some 18,000 students attend Delta College. Returning students for the fall semester were offered incentives to get the vaccine including free textbooks, free parking, and the use of laptops. (9/19)
Sacramento Bee:
CA Lawmakers Want Support For Mental Health For Kids, Teens
Back-to-school this year comes amid a pandemic, wildfires and questions about how being in-person will work on top of other stressors normally faced by students. As school-children make their way to the classroom for the first time in over a year, California’s congressional delegation is pitching resources to aid with their mental health. Though this legislation would likely not be enacted this academic year, if at all, many resources could be implemented in 2022. (Brassil, 9/20)
Los Angeles Times:
First West Nile Virus-Related Death In L.A. County In 2021
Los Angeles County health officials have reported the county’s first death this year due to West Nile virus. The patient, a resident of the eastern region of the county, was hospitalized and died from a neuro-invasive disease associated with the virus, officials announced Friday. No further information was given about the individual or the date of death. (Feldman, 9/19)
Los Angeles Times:
L.A. County Sees Spiking Number Of Babies With Syphilis
More and more babies in L.A. County have been infected with syphilis in the womb, which can lead to stillbirth, neurological problems, blindness, bone abnormalities and other complications. Nine years ago, only six cases were reported across L.A. County, according to a Department of Public Health report. Last year, that number reached 113. The numbers were already surging before the arrival of COVID-19, but public health officials fear the pandemic exacerbated the problem, closing clinics that screen people for syphilis and other sexually transmitted infections and putting new efforts to battle the disease on ice. (Alpert Reyes, 9/20)
USA Today:
Chantix Recall: Pfizer Recalls Smoking Cessation Drug For Cancer Risk
Pfizer is voluntarily recalling all lots of its popular anti-smoking drug Chantix for high levels of nitrosamine, which can increase the risk of cancer. According to the notice posted on the Food and Drug Administration website, the recall is for all lots of 0.5 mg and 1 mg varenicline tablets. The recall notice says that long-term ingestion can lead to a "potential increased cancer risk in humans, but there is no immediate risk to patients taking this medication." (Tyko, 9/17)
Sacramento Bee:
Red Flag Warning For Sacramento Valley, Northern California
The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning that goes into effect late Sunday for a large segment of Northern California, including portions of the Sacramento Valley as gusty wind moves into the region. The red flag warning also includes north Bay Area mountains and east Bay Area hills and valleys amid the critical fire weather conditions, especially for areas that received little to no rainfall over the weekend. (Ahumada, 9/19)
EdSource:
California Schools Prepare For Thousands Of Afghan Refugee Students
In California, home to the largest number of Afghan refugees in the country, school officials are preparing for an influx of refugee students who fled Afghanistan with their families after the Taliban seized power in the country last month. Schools are especially busy in Sacramento and Fremont, two of the largest Afghan communities in the state. Over 40 percent of the nation’s Afghan refugees have resettled in the Sacramento region in recent years, according to Jessie Tientcheu, chief executive officer of Opening Doors, a refugee resettlement agency based in Sacramento. (Lambert, 9/20)
Modesto Bee:
More Afghans To Come As Resettlement Centers Face Challenges
Over 1,000 refugees will arrive in Stanislaus County within a year as resettlement centers say it’s hard to find housing, transportation and mental health services for the Afghans already here. A low inventory of affordable housing, limited ride sharing and lack of culturally competent mental health clinicians are ongoing struggles for local residents. But with an estimated 1,425 refugees fleeing to Stanislaus County beginning in October through September 2022, organizations are asking for help and compassion. (Briseño, 9/20)
Sacramento Bee:
New Sacramento City Department Responds To Homeless Calls
A resident contacted the city of Sacramento on Wednesday to report a small homeless encampment near Robla Community Park in North Sacramento. The call was routed to the city’s Department of Community Response, a new city team tasked with responding to noncriminal 911 and 311 calls involving homeless individuals. After receiving a notification about the call on a laptop, the team of three drove to the site. They found a woman sleeping on a mattress without a tent on the edge of the vacant lot, nestled under trees. (Clift, 9/20)
Sacramento Bee:
Lawsuit Could Block Homeless Shelter Plan In Sacramento
A new lawsuit threatens to halt a major Sacramento plan to address the homeless crisis. The lawsuit — filed Wednesday in Sacramento Superior Court by a group called the Coalition for Compassion and city resident Michael Malinowski — alleges the new plan skirted an environmental review. It also alleges the plan would place homeless individuals at risk of air pollution by placing them under the W-X freeway. (Clift, 9/20)